The Morris County chronicle. [volume] (Morristown, N.J.) 1877-1915, 1887-12-31
a Cave of Adullam

The Prohibitionists have issued their
call for National Convention. 1t is to
be held at indianapolis, June 6, 1888,
and will nominate candidates for Presi-
dent and President. The call EN-,
braces great variety OF topics. The
convention will be a veritable Cave of
Adullam in which shall be gathered all
that are disconnected or have a griev.
ance. Of course, the call is addressed
to those who, believing that intemper>
ance is the giant evil of the times, favor
such legislation as shall make liquor SELL
ing impossible. But, in addition to this,
the authors of the call address them
selves to all who favor woman suffrage, a
better protection OF the ballot, fair
election, the fostering of agricultural
interests and the protection OF labor
1t may be said that female suffrage,
manhood suffrage, honest elections and
agricultural colleges are indirect feeders
OF the cause OF temperance. But these
things are not the only helps to temper
ance. Why did not the Prohibition
managers include Sunday schools, theo-
logical seminaries, strong family govern
ment and anti-tobacco societies in their
list Of matters and things desirable to
promote their great cause ? IL assumed
that the ballot in the hand of woman
will hasten the glad day when there
shall be no more rum. But this is a
venture. There are hundreds of thou
sands OF women who not only use intox-
icating drinks but, if they were given
the ballot would rush to the polls and
cheerfully vote against Prohibition and
all its works. Very likely they would
do more voting than the lovely women
who abhor drinking. 1t is by no
means improbable that woman suffrage
would help more than it would hurt the
rumseller.
But it appears to be the natural incli~
nation OF the average Prohibitionist to 60
after a great variety of 'isms. In this
case, some of the evils of which our
cranky friends complain, and which they
propose to strike down with the greatest
evil of them all, are really the outgrowth
of the sin OF Contemporaries. If they were
to strike at the root OF the tree, the
branches would fall with the trunk !.
For example, once upon time, in on e
of the Assembly districts of New Jer-
sey county, candidate ''set up" several
saloons for the benefit Of his friends who
voted for him. These men did not vote
for him because they were his friends,
but because he had distributed orders
Tor gallons, quarts, pints and glasses OF
beer. If beer-selling had not prevailed
in that district, the ballot-box would
have been much cleaner than it was.
The Prohibitionists begin at the wrong
end; they would purify the ballot and
abolish the saloon at the same time.
Suppose they were to tackle the saloon
first? Obviously, a true economy OF
mental and moral forces would induce
us to confine ourselves, as reformers, to
one object, choosing the most vulnerable
or the most dreaded, as wisdom may die
tate. But our friends, the Prohibition
lists, open scattering fire on the whole
army OF social, moral and political evils.
Their convention will be motley gather.
ing OF cranks; every man who alas an
axe TO grind. fad to put before the
world, new tangled doctrine To pro-
claim. will go to indianapolis. Nea0-
ark Sentinel